The knives are out for philanthropists. Editorial coverage of their motives, gifts, and impact is increasingly negative, particularly in the UK, but in the USA and elsewhere too. Does it matter? Many worry that it does. Is Philanthropist the identity we should use to define others when they give and how are we fuelling differences in terms of superiority/inferiority by using terms like major donor. This blog by Prof. Adrian Sargeant explores a post-modernist look at philanthropy.

I don’t see donor centricity as the dominant paradigm in fundraising. For that to be true, the majority of organizations in our sector would need to be able to identify donors needs and follow through on their satisfaction, and they do not. The metrics we use to assess our practice are almost exclusively financial and we care little for our supporters and how we make them feel. True donor centricity would require organizations to look to the wellbeing and growth of their supporters. And as a sector, we’re not there yet.

What does love have to do with fundraising? What happens when you combine identity, wellbeing and love? What is philanthropic psychology? To find the answers to all your questions, read on.

Do you really know who your supporters are? The more you understand about your donors’ identities, the more you can speak to them in ways that resonate. To kickstart 2021, we’re challenging everyone to really get to know who the people that support you are. Want to know how to go about it? Read on.

Words create meaning and value, and we never stop learning about how to hit home with the words we write. Is your fundraising copy working hard enough?

Is Relationship Fundraising today the same as it was in the 1990s? What do we have to learn, and where should we go from here? Find out more about Relationship Fundraising 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0.

One in five fundraisers feel undervalued and believe they are not considered professionals.

Our research found fundraisers being recognised as professionals leads to greater philanthropic orientation, which in turn leads to greater fundraising performance.